Ascend Sicily's most glamorous hilltop town with a dedicated local guide, exploring the ancient Greek Theatre, hidden baroque lanes, and the eagle's-nest village of Castelmola above. Unmissably beautiful.
What to expect
Your guide collects you inside the port and whisks you up the Ionian coast to Taormina, perched 200 m above a sea so blue it barely looks real. The 3rd-century BC Greek Theatre frames active Etna as its permanent backdrop — one of the great views on earth. From there you wind higher still to Castelmola, a medieval hamlet where the locals have been making almond wine (vino di mandorle) for generations; your guide knows which bar to choose. The return coastal drive offers breathtaking views of the strait and a final Sicilian espresso stop.
Good to know
Pick-up and drop-off inside the cruise port — no taxi scramble. Full day; confirm exact all-aboard time and communicate it to your guide at the start. Book direct via Discover Messina for port-priority pick-up. Light walking shoes essential; Castelmola's lanes are steep cobblestone.